Interstate 287
Map of New Jersey, Southern New York, and part of the Hudson Valley with I-287 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route ofI-87 (NY)
Maintained byNJDOT andNYSTA
Length	98.72 mi[1] (158.87 km)
Existed	1961–present
NHS	Entire route
Restrictions	No explosives on theTappan Zee Bridge
Major junctions
South end	I-95 Toll /N.J. Turnpike /Route 440 /CR 514 inEdison, NJ
Major intersections	I-78 inBedminster, NJ Route 24 inHanover, NJ I-80 /US 46 inParsippany, NJ Route 208 at theOakland–Franklin Lakes, NJ line I-87 /New York Thruway /NY 17 inSuffern, NY G.S. Parkway Connector inChestnut Ridge, NY Palisades Parkway inWest Nyack, NY I-87 /New York Thruway /NY 119 /Saw Mill River Parkway inElmsford, NY I-684 at theWhite Plains–Harrison, NY line Hutchinson River Parkway in Harrison, NY
East end	I-95 /US 1 inRye, NY
Location
Country	United States
States	New Jersey,New York
Counties	NJ:Middlesex,Somerset,Morris,Passaic,Bergen NY:Rockland,Westchester
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future
New Jersey State Highway Routes Interstate US State Scenic Byways
New York Highways Interstate US State Reference Parkways
←Route 284 NJ →I-295 ←NY 286 NY →NY 287

Interstate 287 (I-287) is anauxiliary Interstate Highway in the US states ofNew Jersey andNew York. It is a partialbeltway aroundNew York City, serving northern New Jersey and the counties ofRockland andWestchester in New York. I-287, which is signed north–south in New Jersey and east–west in New York, follows a roughly horseshoe-shaped route from theNew Jersey Turnpike (I-95) inEdison, New Jersey, clockwise to theNew England Thruway (I-95) inRye, New York, for 98.72 miles (158.87 km). Through New Jersey, I-287 runs west from its southern terminus in Edison through suburban areas. InBridgewater Township, the freeway takes a more northeasterly course, paralleled byUS Route 202 (US 202). The northernmost part of I-287 in New Jersey passes through mountainous surroundings. Upon entering New York atSuffern, I-287 turns east on theNew York State Thruway (I-87) and runs through Rockland County. After crossing theHudson River on theTappan Zee Bridge, I-287 splits from I-87 nearTarrytown and continues east through Westchester County on theCross Westchester Expressway until it reaches the New England Thruway. Within New Jersey, I-287 is maintained by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), and, within New York, it is maintained by theNew York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA).

A bypass around New York City had been planned since the 1950s and would become a part of the Interstate Highway System and receive the I-287 designation. The Cross Westchester Expressway, which was originally designated asInterstate 187 (I-187), opened in 1960 asInterstate 487 (I-487) before becoming part of I-287 a year later. The New York State Thruway portion of I-287, which included a crossing of the Hudson River, opened in 1955. In New Jersey, the proposed I-287 had originally been designated as FAI Corridor 104 and incorporated what was planned as theMiddlesex Freeway. The New Jersey section of I-287 between the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison and US 202 inMontville opened in stages between the 1960s and 1973; the remainder was completed by 1994. The agingTappan Zee Bridge was replaced with anew span which opened in stages between 2017 and 2018.

Aproposed tunnel across theLong Island Sound between Rye andOyster Bay onLong Island would link the eastern terminus of I-287 toNew York State Route 25 (NY 25) andNY 135 inSyosset.

I-287 begins at an interchange with theNew Jersey Turnpike (I-95) inEdison inMiddlesex County, New Jersey, where the freeway continues east asRoute 440 towardPerth Amboy andStaten Island.^[2][3] Within Middlesex County, I-287 is called the Lt. Col. (Ret) Richard F. Lauer, US Army Highway.^[2] From this point, it heads west as an eight-lane freeway through suburban areas, soon reaching an interchange withUS 1 that also has access toCounty Route 531 (CR 531) in the southbound direction. Past this point, the road turns more to the northwest and passes underConrail Shared Assets Operations's Bonhamtown Industrial Track line and a railroad spur before it comes to the junction withRoute 27 (Lincoln Highway).^[2][3] Following Route 27, I-287 narrows to six lanes and passes overAmtrak'sNortheast Corridor as it continues to a southbound exit and northbound entrance withCR 501.^[2]

As the freeway continues intoSouth Plainfield, it passes near several business parks and comes to a partial interchange with Durham Avenue which only has a northbound exit and southbound entrance.^[2][3] At this point, the road starts to turn more west before it comes to a full junction withCR 529. Here, the road entersPiscataway and reaches an interchange with CR 665 (Washington Avenue).^[2] Continuing near more business parks, I-287 comes to the exit for South Randolphville Road.^[2][3] Following this interchange, the road heads west more before it turns to the southwest and comes to an interchange with the northern terminus ofRoute 18.^[2] After Route 18, the freeway comes to theCR 622 (River Road) exit.^[2][3]

After crossing over theRaritan River, I-287 entersFranklin Township,Somerset County, and becomes the Captain (Ret) Joseph Azzolina, US Navy Highway. Soon after the river, there is an interchange withCR 527.^[2] After CR 527, the freeway makes a turn to the northwest and passes a mix of residential areas and business parks.^[3] The road has an interchange with CR 623 (Weston Canal Road) before crossing the Raritan River again and continuing intoBridgewater Township.^[2] Within Bridgewater Township, I-287 curves north-northwest and passes over Conrail Shared Assets Operations'sLehigh Line and then bothNJ Transit'sRaritan Valley Line andCR 533 nearTD Bank Ballpark, which is home to theSomerset Patriots baseball team. Past this area, the road encountersRoute 28 at an interchange.^[2][3] Past Route 28, the freeway turns northwest and passes overNorfolk Southern Railway's Middle Brook Industrial Track line before it intersectsUS 22 at a partial interchange with a northbound exit and entrance and southbound entrance. From this point, I-287 makes a turn to the west and runs to the north of US 22 as it has a wide median.^[2] The freeway turns northwest as it passes near theBridgewater Commons shopping mall and reaches a partial interchange withUS 202/US 206.^[2][3] Through the remainder of New Jersey, US 202 parallels the course of I-287.^[3] At this point, I-287 gains alocal–express lane configuration, with three local and two express lanes southbound and three express and three local lanes northbound. Both the southbound local and express lanes have access to southbound US 202/US 206 at this interchange, whereas northbound US 202/US 206 only has access to the local lanes of northbound I-287.^[2]

From here, the road continues north past suburban residential areas, with the northbound direction narrowing to two local lanes, before enteringBedminster.^[2][3] Here, I-287 intersectsI-78 at the Vincent R. Kramer Interchange, where the local–express lane configuration ends. Access from eastbound I-78 to southbound I-287 is only to the local lanes. Meanwhile, the express lanes of northbound I-287 provides access to westbound I-78 while the local lanes provide access to eastbound I-78.^[2] Following I-78, I-287 heads north with four northbound lanes and three southbound lanes into more wooded surroundings, reaching another interchange with US 202/US 206.^[2][3] At this point, the freeway median widens again as it turns northeast before continuing more to the east and enteringFar Hills. Within Far Hills, the road passes underCR 512 before the northbound direction narrows to three lanes and the wide median ends. EnteringBernards Township, I-287 runs east-northeast to an interchange withCR 525.^[2] After the CR 525 interchange, the road gains a wide median that narrows again before the road runs under NJ Transit'sGladstone Branch, heading more to the northeast.^[2][3] Before leaving Bernards Township, there is an exit for North Maple Avenue.^[2]

A short distance after this interchange, I-287 entersHarding Township,Morris County, at the crossing of thePassaic River, where it becomes the Marine Hector Cafferata Jr. Cong. Medal of Honor Highway.^[2] It continues northeast, with US 202 running a short distance to the west.^[2][3] The freeway makes a turn more to the east as it comes to a truck-onlyrest area in the northbound direction.^[3] The road crosses intoMorris Township, where it reaches an exit-only interchange with Harter Road; there are no entrances present. Shortly after Harter Road, there is a junction with CR 663 (James Street) that only has entrances to I-287. After this, I-287 turns north and entersMorristown, where the southbound direction gains a fourth lane as the median narrows.^[2] The freeway enters more developed areas as it comes to theRoute 124 interchange. From this point, the road becomes eight lanes total, with four in each direction, as it passes west ofMorristown Medical Center.^[2][3] After crossing under NJ Transit'sMorristown Line, it reaches the exit forCR 510. From CR 510, I-287 makes a turn to the northeast, crossing back into Morris Township before continuing intoHanover Township. Here, the route comes to the western terminus of theRoute 24 freeway and becomes ten lanes total.^[2] Following Route 24, the freeway passes over theMorristown and Erie Railway's Whippany Line before it intersectsRoute 10 and becomes nine lanes, with five southbound and four northbound. I-287 passes near several business parks as it entersParsippany–Troy Hills. In this area, there is an interchange withCR 511 east of Lake Parsippany that also has access to Entin Road in the southbound direction. After this, I-287 widens to eleven lanes with five northbound lanes, two express southbound lanes, and four local southbound lanes as it comes to theI-80 junction.^[2][3]

Following this interchange, the freeway becomes six lanes, with three in each direction as it continues into more wooded areas and reaching an exit with access toUS 46 and US 202/CR 511. In this area, the highway runs to the west of theBoonton Reservoir and immediately to the east of US 202/CR 511.^[2][3] I-287 comes to the Intervale Road exit, which carries US 202 and CR 511. The freeway entersBoonton, where it turns northeast, with NJ Transit'sMontclair-Boonton Line located a short distance to the northwest.^[2] In Boonton, there is another interchange with US 202/CR 511. From here, I-287 curves more to the east, with US 202 running immediately to the north of the road.^[2][3] Along this stretch, there is an exit for US 202 and Vreeland Avenue.^[2] Upon enteringMontville, the passes near wooded residential areas before coming to another interchange with US 202. I-287 continues northeast from this point, drawing away from US 202, crossing under NJ Transit's Montclair-Boonton Line before running north-northeast through more woodland as the terrain starts to get more mountainous. This stretch of I-287 continues for six miles (9.7 km) before its next exit.^[2][3] The freeway runs throughKinnelon, where the northbound direction has four lanes, andPequannock Township before enteringRiverdale. In Riverdale, there is an interchange withRoute 23. A short distance later, I-287 reaches the CR 694 interchange which provides access toCR 511 Alternate (CR 511 Alt.).^[2]

Immediately after this, I-287 crosses over thePequannock River andNew York, Susquehanna and Western Railway's New Jersey Subdivision line intoBloomingdale,Passaic County, where the highway becomes US Air Force Gunner Clarence "Red" Mosley Highway.^[2] The road continues northeast and turns north as it briefly passes throughPompton Lakes before crossing intoWanaque.^[2][3] Here, the road makes a turn northeast again as it comes to the CR 511 Alternate interchange.^[2] After this, I-287 passes through rock cuts in theRamapo Mountains before making a sharp turn east as it crosses high above theWanaque River valley on a bridge. The freeway continues intoOakland,Bergen County, where the name becomes Army Staff Sergeant Walter Bray Highway.^[2][3]

Here, there are a couple of businesses near the road before the interchange withSkyline Drive. Following this, the road crosses theRamapo River before passing near neighborhoods and reaching a junction with US 202.^[2][3] After US 202, I-287 turns southeast and closely parallels the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway line to the southwest before coming to an interchange with the northern terminus ofRoute 208 at theFranklin Lakes borough line.^[2] Past this interchange, I-287 narrows to four lanes and turns northeast as the railroad line draws away. The freeway passes wooded residential neighborhoods prior to turning north and enteringMahwah, where it continues near more wooded suburban areas as well as theCampgaw Mountain Reservation to the west of the road. After passing to the east of theRamapo College campus, I-287 passes over US 202.^[2][3] The freeway crosses the Ramapo River again before reaching an interchange withRoute 17.^[2] At this point, Route 17 forms aconcurrency with I-287 and the road widens to six lanes as it passes between theRamapo Valley County Reservation to the west and business parks to the east.^[2][3]

Upon entering New York in the village ofHillburn in the town ofRamapo inRockland County, New York, New Jersey's Route 17 ends andNY 17 follows I-287 as the road comes to an interchange with theNew York State Thruway (I-87).^[4][5] At this point, NY 17 splits north onto I-87 and I-287 joins I-87 on the eight-lane New York State Thruway, passing overMetro-North Railroad'sPort Jervis Line as it heads east out of the mountains into suburban residential and commercial surroundings as it narrows to six lanes.^[3][4] After passing through the village ofMontebello, the freeway reaches an interchange with Airmont Road where it becomes the border between Montebello to the north and the village ofAirmont to the south.^[4][5] Continuing to the east, the New York State Thruway becomes the border betweenMonsey and Airmont before separating Monsey from the village ofChestnut Ridge to the south as it turns slightly to the east-southeast.^[5] After briefly running along the south edge of the village ofSpring Valley, where there is a westboundtoll gantry for trucks, the highway fully enters Chestnut Ridge.^[3][5] In this area, it comes to the Thruway'sGarden State Parkway Connector, which heads south to New Jersey and becomes theGarden State Parkway.^[4] Following this junction, I-87/I-287 continues east into the town ofClarkstown, coming to an exit forNY 59.^[4][5] After this, the road passes to the north ofNanuet, crossing under NJ Transit/Metro-North Railroad'sPascack Valley Line.^[3][5] The freeway crosses underNY 304 before the cloverleaf interchange with thePalisades Interstate Parkway. As the Thruway continues intoWest Nyack, it passes underCSX Transportation'sRiver Subdivision line before coming to the exit forNY 303 that provides access to thePalisades Center shopping mall to the south of the road.^[3][4]

Past NY 303, I-87/I-287 turns to the east-southeast and passes near wooded areas as well as suburban neighborhoods ofCentral Nyack.^[3][5] It comes to another interchange with NY 59 that also provides access toUS 9W.^[4][5] Within this interchange, the roadway has an eastbound toll gantry for theTappan Zee Bridge that allows tolls to be collected at highway speeds usingE-ZPass ortoll by mail. At this point, the New York State Thruway widens to eight lanes and turns to the south-southeast into the village ofNyack in the town ofOrangetown, crossing over US 9W prior to passing near residential areas in the village ofSouth Nyack as it runs to the east of US 9W, descending intothe Palisades.^[3][5] The last interchange in Rockland County is with US 9W and has no southbound exit.^[3][4] From here, the New York State Thruway crosses theHudson River on the Tappan Zee Bridge east into the village ofTarrytown in the town ofGreenburgh inWestchester County.^[3][5] After passing over the river, the road crosses over Metro-North Railroad'sHudson Line.^[3] After this, the freeway comes to the exit forUS 9 that also serves the western terminus ofNY 119.^[4][5] I-87/I-287 continues east past woodland and business parks, leaving Tarrytown. The two routes then split; I-87 continues south on the New York State Thruway, while I-287 heads east on the Cross Westchester Expressway.^[3][4][5] This interchange also has access to and from the northboundSaw Mill River Parkway and NY 119.^[3]

The Cross Westchester Expressway, which is maintained by the NYSTA, is six lanes wide and carries I-287 east to a westbound exit for NY 119 that is intertwined with the ramps between the New York State Thruway and NY 119/Saw Mill River Parkway.^[3][4][6] After passing over the Saw Mill River Parkway and theSaw Mill River, the road enters the village ofElmsford and runs through developed areas as it has a partial diamond interchange withNY 9A that does not have an eastbound exit.^[3][4][5] The Cross Westchester Expressway turns southeast from this point and intersects theSprain Brook Parkway.^[4][5] I-287 widens to eight lanes at this junction and continues to the exit forNY 100A.^[3][4] After the NY 100A interchange, the freeway leaves Elmsford and turns to the east near residential areas, narrowing to six lanes before coming to an exit forNY 100 and NY 119 that also has access to theBronx River Parkway.^[3][4][5]

Following this exit, the road becomes eight lanes again and crosses over the Bronx River Parkway, theBronx River, and Metro-North Railroad'sHarlem Line.^[3][5] Here, the road crosses intoWhite Plains and reaches an interchange withNY 22.^[4][5] Past NY 22, I-287 makes a sharp curve to the south as it narrows to six lanes and runs near inhabited neighborhoods.^[3] The road has a westbound exit and eastbound entrance with theCentral Westchester Parkway, a road that provides access to theTaconic State Parkway by way of NY 22. The freeway runs past commercial areas to the east of downtown White Plains as it encounters Westchester Avenue, which connects toThe Westchester shopping mall in the downtown area.^[3][4] Within this interchange, the Cross Westchester Expressway turns east along the border betweenHarrison to the north and White Plains to the south.^[5] Westchester Avenue becomes afrontage road for I-287 as the road passes corporate parks to the north and populated neighborhoods to the south.^[3]

The road begins to turn southeast as it comes to a directional interchange with the southern terminus ofI-684.^[3][4] The I-287 freeway heads south along the White Plains–Harrison border before turning east and fully entering Harrison, where there is a cloverleaf interchange with theHutchinson River Parkway.^[3][4][5] At this interchange, the Westchester Avenue frontage road serves as acollector–distributor road. The Cross Westchester Expressway turns southeast again past wooded areas of development, withNY 120 coming onto the Westchester Avenue frontage road.^[3] I-287 reaches an interchange where the frontage road ends as Westchester Avenue heads east asNY 120A and NY 120 continues to the south.^[3][4] Here, the freeway enters the village ofRye Brook in the town ofRye as it continues southeast.^[5] The Cross Westchester Expressway comes into the village ofPort Chester, where the road runs near more dense suburban development as it intersectsUS 1.^[3][4][5] At this point, the road has ramp access to and from the southbound direction of theNew England Thruway (I-95).^[3] From here, the mainline I-287 narrows to four lanes and enters the city ofRye, where it passes over the Northeast Corridor before merging into northbound I-95 about a half-mile (0.80 km) west of theConnecticut state line.^[3][4][5]

In the 1950s, a limited-access highway was proposed to bypass New York City.^[7] This planned beltway would be incorporated into the newInterstate Highway System.^[8] The proposed beltway in New Jersey was designated as FAI Corridor 104 and later received the I-287 designation in 1958.^[9] The southern segment of I-287 was planned in the 1950s as the Middlesex Freeway, which was to run from theOuterbridge Crossing to Staten Island and follow the Route 440 corridor to Edison, where it would connect to the New Jersey Turnpike before continuing west to I-78. From here, the freeway would parallel US 202 north to the New York border. The anticipated cost of building I-287 in New Jersey was $235 million (equivalent to $2.14 billion in 2024^[10]).^[11] The southernmost part of I-287 in Middlesex County was intended to be signed as part of I-95 instead; this never happened due to the cancellation of theSomerset Freeway.^[12][13] By the mid-1960s, I-287 had been completed between the New Jersey Turnpike and Bedminster and from US 46 in Parsippany to US 202 in Montville.^[14] More of I-287 in New Jersey had been finished by 1969, with the sections from US 46 south to Route 10 in Hanover Township and from Bedminster north to Maple Avenue in Bernards Township opened.^[12] The segment of the highway between Maple Avenue and Route 24 opened in 1973, followed by the segment between Route 24 and Route 10 in early 1975, making I-287 a continuous road between the New Jersey Turnpike in Edison and US 202 in Montville.^[15]

I-287's missing section between US 202 in Montville and the New York State Thruway inSuffern, New York, was controversial dating back to 1965 and continuing until its opening in 1993. Property owners along the proposed route fought its completion as part of thefreeway revolts of the 1960s and 1970s.^[7] Originally, I-287 was proposed to take a more eastern route through theLincoln Park andWayne areas; this routing gained opposition as it passed through populated areas.^[12][16] A more western alignment was planned through mountainous areas in 1973, but this was rejected as the cost of building the road through the mountains was too high.^[16] In 1977, the current alignment of I-287 was proposed between Montville and Suffern; this was approved by the federal government in 1982 as it was less costly than the western alignment and went through less developed areas than the eastern alignment.^[17][18]

Permits allowing construction to begin on this segment were issued in 1988 by theUS Army Corps of Engineers. Officials in Rockland County, New York filed a lawsuit on November 19, 1993, hours before the highway's official ribbon-cutting, seeking to block its opening. They claimed the incomplete interchange with the New York State Thruway was inadequate to handle the additional traffic.^[7] That interchange was not complete until 1994, but the highway opened as planned on November 19 in a ceremony held on the Wanaque River bridge, where New Jersey GovernorJames Florio cut the ribbon.^[7][19] This moment marked the completion of a bypass around New York City that had been planned for decades.^[7] The portion of I-287 between the US 202 interchange in Oakland and the Route 208 interchange in Franklin Lakes overtook the westernmost portion of Route 208, truncating that route to its current location.^[12][20]

The completion of I-287 in New Jersey had significant effects on traffic and development patterns in the area. Several towns along the highway, such as Wanaque and Montville, saw increases in development. In addition, as the road was a bypass, it saw a significant increase in truck traffic wishing to bypass congested roads closer to New York City.^[19] The road also increased truck traffic on other north–south corridors, such asRoute 31, from truckers wanting to bypass the New Jersey Turnpike by using these surface roads to get between the I-287 bypass of New York City and I-95 south toPennsylvania.^[19][21] On July 16, 1999, GovernorChristine Todd Whitman banned oversize trucks from using roads that are not part of theNational Highway System, such as Route 31. Trucks were therefore forced to use I-287 and the New Jersey Turnpike to travel across the state.^[22] In the 1990s,high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV lanes) were built along I-287 between Bedminster and Parsippany. These HOV lanes, along with the ones that had been built on I-80, were opened to all traffic in 1998 due to lack of HOV usage, and the state did not have to repay the federal government the $240 million (equivalent to $430 million in 2024^[10]) to build the lanes.^[23] In 2011, a small section of the northbound side of the highway inBoonton collapsed into theRockaway River due toHurricane Irene.^[24] Near the end of that year, five people and a dog were killed when a smallSOCATA TBM 700 airplane en route to Georgia crashed on the highway near exit 33 in Morris Township.^[25]

In August 2007, NJDOT started the I-287 (Middlesex Freeway) Rehabilitation Project to resurface the pavement between exit 5 in South Plainfield and I-95/New Jersey Turnpike in Edison Township, which is used by about 150,000 vehicles daily. Some of the bridges and overpasses had deteriorated to such a state that they needed to be replaced.^[26] On September 16, 2009, NJDOT announced the start of another rehabilitation and repaving project from exit 5 in Piscataway to the area of exit 10 in Franklin Township. This project, which was funded by theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, cost $29 million (equivalent to $41.1 million in 2024^[10])^[27] and was finished by April 2011.^[28]

On March 21, 2025 a sinkhole opened up on the northbound shoulder at shortly after 4PM. The collapse resulted in the closure of two lanes on the roadway.^[29] Referring to maps, there are no mines in the area of the collapse.^[30] The sinkhole is not related to the mine collapses on I80.^[31]

The New York State Thruway portion of I-287 was planned around 1950 as part of a tolled limited-access highway that was to connect the major cities of New York.^[32][33] A bridge across the Hudson River was planned between Nyack and Tarrytown at a site that was close enough to New York City but far enough from thePort Authority of New York and New Jersey's jurisdiction area, as they opposed the crossing.^[34] The portion of the Thruway currently followed by I-287, including the Tappan Zee Bridge over the Hudson River, opened on December 15, 1955.^[35][36] In the 1960s, I-287 was designated along the New York State Thruway between Suffern and Tarrytown, while I-87 ran farther to the east on present-day I-684.^[14] On January 1, 1970, the I-87 designation was shifted onto this portion of the New York State Thruway to run concurrent with I-287.^[37]

TheE-ZPass electronic toll collection system was first introduced on this segment of the Thruway at the Spring Valley and Tappan Zee Bridge toll plazas in 1993.^[38] The same year, an interchange in Suffern opened providing access to the newly opened New Jersey portion of I-287.^[39] In 1997, tolls for cars were eliminated at the Spring Valley toll plaza, with tolls remaining for trucks and other commercial vehicles.^[40] The I-87/I-287 interchange split near Tarrytown began a $187-million (equivalent to $315 million in 2024^[10]) reconstruction in 2001 in order to add additional lanes and rebuild overpasses and underpasses.^[41] Reconstruction in this area was completed in May 2004.^[42] In 2016, the Tappan Zee Bridge toll plaza was demolished and replaced with anelectronic toll gantry on the west side.^[43] The Spring Valley toll plaza went all-electronic in 2018.^[44]

Plans for a limited-access road to cross Westchester County east to west date back to the 1920s and became more needed after post-World War II traffic increases. When the Tappan Zee Bridge was proposed around 1950, the Cross Westchester Expressway was becoming a more realistic idea.^[33] Construction of the freeway began in 1956, and was given the NY 119 designation. The design of the highway metInterstate Highway standards after opening and was supposed to have the I-187 designation. However, by the time the highway opened in 1960, it was officially designated as I-487 instead. At a cost of $50 million (equivalent to $405 million in 2024^[10]), the Cross Westchester Expressway was opened December 1960.^[45]

In 1961, this segment of road was redesignated I-287 to make it a part of the beltway around New York City.^[14] I-287 was to continue past I-95 in Port Chester and was to crossLong Island Sound via the unbuiltOyster Bay–Rye Bridge.^[46][47] OnLong Island, the route would run along theSeaford–Oyster Bay Expressway (NY 135). Then, I-287 was again to be extended intoJones Beach by merging with theWantagh State Parkway inMerrick. The plans for the bridge, and the I-287 extension onto Long Island, were dropped in 1973 by GovernorNelson Rockefeller as a result of community opposition and environmental concerns.^[48]

Ownership of the Cross Westchester Expressway was transferred from theNew York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to theNYSTA in 1990 to help relieve the state's budget issues.^[49]

On July 27, 1994, a propane truck crashed into an overpass on the Cross Westchester Expressway in White Plains and exploded, killing the driver. The fire from the explosion spread into adjacent neighborhoods and injured 23 people.^[50]

Since 1999, the Cross Westchester Expressway has been under construction in order to reduce congestion and improve safety for the motorists who use the highway.^{[51][dubious –discuss]} The final phase of the project, a reconstruction in the area of exit 8 in White Plains, was completed in December 2012, nine months ahead of schedule.^[52]

In late 2018, NYSDOT began installingramp meters on entrance ramps to I-287 in Rockland and Westchester Counties. More are expected to be installed by 2020.^[53]

The original Tappan Zee Bridge in 2007 (left), and the New Tappan Zee Bridge in 2020 (right)

TheTappan Zee Bridge, carrying the concurrency ofNew York State Thruway, I-87, and I-287, was acantilever bridge built during 1952–1955. The bridge was three miles (4.8 km) long and spanned the Hudson at its second-widest point. Before its replacement in 2017, the deteriorating structure carried an average of 138,000 vehicles per day, substantially more traffic than its designed capacity. During its first decade, the bridge carried fewer than 40,000 vehicles per day. Part of the justification for replacing the bridge stems from its construction immediately following theKorean War on a low budget of only $81 million (equivalent to $738 million in 2024^[10]). Unlike other major bridges in theNew York metropolitan area, the Tappan Zee was designed to last only 50 years.^[54] TheFederal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a report in October 2011 designating theTappan Zee's replacement to be dual-spantwin bridges.^[55] Construction officially began in October 2013,^[56] with the new spans being built to the north of the existing bridge. The new bridge connects to the existing highway approaches of I-87 and I-287 on both river banks.^[55]

The northbound/westbound span opened on August 25, 2017.^[57][58] Southbound/eastbound traffic remained on the old bridge until October 6, 2017. At that point, southbound/eastbound traffic shifted to the westbound span of the new bridge and the old bridge closed.^[59][60] The bridge's eastbound span opened to traffic on September 11, 2018.^[61][62] Upon completion, the new Tappan Zee Bridge became one of the longest cable-stayed spans in the nation.^[63]

In 2008, a private firm, Polimeni Associates, proposed to construct a more than 16-mile-long (26 km) tunnel across Long Island Sound between Rye and Oyster Bay.^[64] This proposed tunnel would be the longest highway tunnel in the world, with its length exceeding that of theLærdal Tunnel in Norway by a mile (1.6 km).^[65] It would start at the junction with the Cross Westchester Expressway and the New England Thruway in Rye and end at NY 135 andNY 25 inSyosset.^[66] Estimated to cost approximately $10 billion, it would feature three tubes: the outer tubes would have three lanes of vehicular traffic each and the inner tube would be used for maintenance.^[65] The proposed tunnel, which is to be operated by a private firm, is still awaiting approval to begin construction.^[67]

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I-287 has been designated as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway since 1995. There are signs on the highway and sections are named in honor of Korean War veterans. The Morris County portion is designated for U.S. Marine Corps veteran Hector Cafferata Jr., a Medal of Honor recipient. The Bergen County portion is designated for U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Walter Bray, and the Passaic County portion for Air Force gunner Clarence "Red" Mosely. The Somerset County portion is dedicatetd to Navy Captain Joseph Azzolina, and the Middlesex County portion for Lt. Col. Richard Lauer. The I-287/Harter Road interchange at exit 33 in Morris Township is named the Warren E. Wilhide Interchange in honor of a U.S. Army veteran who was based in Chunchon, Korea, and lived very close to the Harter Road exit.

The mileposts below follow actual signage, even though the route is continuous.

State	County	Location	mi [2][4]	km	Old exit	New exit	Destinations	Notes
New Jersey	Middlesex	Edison	0.00	0.00		—	Route 440 north toG.S. Parkway /US 9 –Perth Amboy,Staten Island	Continuation north
						—	I-95 Toll /N.J. Turnpike /CR 514 –New York City,Trenton,Woodbridge,Bonhamtown,Raritan Center	No southbound access to CR 514; exit 10 on I-95 / Turnpike
			0.93	1.50	38[68]	1	US 1 /CR 531 –Trenton,Newark	Signed as exits 1A (CR 531 north) & 1B (CR 531 south); no southbound access to CR 531 north; CR 531 not signed northbound
			2.24	3.60	36[68]		Route 27 –Metuchen,New Brunswick	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; signed as exits 2A (NJ 27 north) and 2B (NJ 27 south)
			3.09	4.97	35[68]	3	CR 501 (New Durham Road) –New Durham,Metuchen	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		South Plainfield	4.62	7.44	33[68]	4	Durham Avenue –South Plainfield	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		South Plainfield–Piscataway line	5.88	9.46	1[68]	5	CR 529 (Stelton Road) –Dunellen,Edison
		Piscataway	6.41	10.32	2[69]	6	Washington Avenue –Piscataway,Dunellen	No southbound entrance
			7.27	11.70	3[70]	7	South Randolphville Road –Piscataway,Middlesex
			8.47	13.63	4[71]	8	Route 18 south (Centennial Avenue) / Possumtown Road –Middlesex,Highland Park	Signed for Centennial Avenue southbound, Possumtown Road northbound; northern terminus of Route 18
			9.95	16.01	5[72]	9	River Road (CR 622) –Bound Brook,Highland Park
	Somerset	Franklin Township	10.27	16.53	6[73]	10	CR 527 (Easton Avenue) –New Brunswick,South Bound Brook
			12.30	19.79	7[74]	12	Weston Canal Road (CR 623) –Manville,South Bound Brook
		Bridgewater Township	13.50	21.73	9[72]	13	Route 28 –Somerville,Bound Brook	Signed as exits 13A (NJ 28 east) and 13B (NJ 28 west) northbound
			14.24– 14.35	22.92– 23.09	10[68]	14	US 22 toUS 202 /US 206 –Newark,Clinton	No southbound access to US 22 west; signed as exits 14A (US 22 east) and 14B (US 22 west)
			17.86	28.74	13[72]	17	US 202 south /US 206 south toUS 22 west –Somerville,Flemington	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		Bedminster	21.17	34.07	17[68]	21	I-78 –Easton, PA,New York City	Signed as exits 21A (I-78 east) and 21B (I-78 west); exit 29 on I-78
			22.21	35.74	18[75]	22	US 202 /US 206 –Pluckemin,Bedminster,Netcong	Signed as 22A (202 / 206 south) & 22B (202 / 206 north) northbound; Netcong not signed southbound
		Bernards Township	26.48	42.62	22[76]	26	CR 525 (Mount Airy Road) –Liberty Corner,Bernardsville	Signed as exits 26A (CR 525 south) and 26B (CR 525 north) northbound
			29.94	48.18	26[77]	30	US 202 / North Maple Avenue –Bernardsville,Basking Ridge	Signed as exits 30A (Maple Avenue) and 30B (US 202)
	Morris	Morris Township	34.02	54.75	29[78]	33	Harter Road
		Morristown	35.77– 35.89	57.57– 57.76	31[79]	35	Route 124 (South Street / Madison Avenue)
			36.39– 36.60	58.56– 58.90	32[79]	36	CR 510 (Morris Avenue / Lafayette Avenue) / Ridgedale Avenue	Signed as exits 36A (CR 510 east) and 36B (CR 510 west) northbound; Ridgedale Avenue not signed northbound
		Hanover Township	37.92– 38.00	61.03– 61.16		37	Route 24 east toI-78 east –Springfield	I-78 not signed northbound; western terminus of Route 24
			39.55	63.65	35[79]	39	Route 10 –Dover,Whippany	Signed as exits 39A (NJ 10 east) and 39B (NJ 10 west) southbound
		Parsippany–Troy Hills	40.94	65.89	36B[79]	40B	Entin Road / Sylvan Way	Southbound exit and entrance
					36A[79]	40A	CR 511 (Parsippany Road) –Whippany, Lake Parsippany	Signed as exit 40 northbound
			42.02	67.62	37[79]	41	I-80 /US 46 / Smith Road –Delaware Water Gap,New York City	No southbound access to US 46; signed as exits 41A (I-80 east) and 41B (I-80 west); exits 43A and 43B on I-80
			42.74	68.78	38[79]	42	US 46 /US 202 (CR 511) –Dover,Clifton	No northbound exit
			44.06	70.91	39[79]	43	Intervale Road (US 202 /CR 511) –Mountain Lakes	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		Boonton	44.95	72.34	40A[79]	44	Main Street (US 202 /CR 511) –Boonton	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
			45.68	73.51	40B (NB) 41 (SB)	45	Myrtle Avenue (US 202) / Wootton Street –Boonton
		Montville	47.11	75.82	42[79]	47	US 202 –Montville,Lincoln Park
		Riverdale	53.14	85.52		52	Route 23 –Riverdale,Wayne,Butler	Signed as exits 52A (NJ 23 south) and 52B (NJ 23 north)
			53.83	86.63		53	CR 694 /CR 511 Alt. –Bloomingdale,Pompton Lakes
	Passaic	Wanaque	55.31	89.01		55	CR 511 /CR 511 Alt. –Wanaque,Pompton Lakes
	Bergen	Oakland	58.13	93.55		57	Skyline Drive (CR S-91) –Ringwood
			58.86	94.73		58	US 202 –Oakland
		Oakland–Franklin Lakes line	59.94	96.46		59	Route 208 south –Franklin Lakes	Northern terminus of Route 208
		Mahwah	66.95	107.75		66	Route 17 south –Mahwah	Southern end of Route 17 concurrency
New Jersey–New York state line			67.54 0.00	108.70 0.00	Route 17 becomesNY 17
New York	Rockland	Suffern	0.65 30.17	1.05 48.55		15	I-87 north /New York Thruway north /NY 17 north –Albany	Northern end of NY 17 concurrency; western end of I-87 / Thruway concurrency; exit number not signed northbound
		Montebello	27.62	44.45		14B	Airmont Road (CR 89) –Airmont,Montebello	Access toGood Samaritan Regional Medical Center
		Chestnut Ridge	24.31	39.12	Spring Valley Toll Gantry (E-ZPass orToll by Mail; westbound trucks)
			23.53	37.87		14A	ToG.S. Parkway south –New Jersey	Access viaG.S. Parkway Connector
		Nanuet	23.00	37.01		–	CR 35 (Pascack Road) / Old Turnpike Road	Eastbound entrance only
			22.80	36.69		14	NY 59 (CR 35A) –Spring Valley,Nanuet
		West Nyack	20.94	33.70		13	Palisades Parkway –Bear Mountain,New Jersey	Signed as exits 13S (Palisades Parkway south) and 13N (Palisades Parkway north); exits 9E and 9W on Palisades Parkway
			18.76	30.19		12	NY 303 / Palisades Center Drive –West Nyack	Palisades Center Drive not signed westbound
		Nyack	17.63	28.37		11	ToUS 9W –Nyack,South Nyack	Eastbound exit and entrance; access viaNY 59; last eastbound exit before toll
							US 9W /NY 59 west –Nyack	Westbound exit and entrance; access via High Avenue; NY 59 not signed
		South Nyack	16.49	26.54		10	US 9W –Nyack,South Nyack	No eastbound exit
	Hudson River		14.50– 12.80	23.34– 20.60	Tappan Zee (Governor Mario M. Cuomo) Bridge (eastbound toll;E-ZPass orToll by Mail)
	Westchester	Tarrytown	12.65	20.36		9	US 9 /NY 119 east –Tarrytown,Sleepy Hollow	Eastbound exit and entrance; NY 119 not signed
							ToUS 9 –Tarrytown,Sleepy Hollow	Westbound exit and entrance; access viaNY 119
		Greenburgh	10.50 0.00	16.90 0.00		8	I-87 south (New York Thruway) /NY 119 /Saw Mill River Parkway north –New York City	No westbound access to NY 119/Saw Mill; eastern end of I-87 / Thruway concurrency; exit no. not signed westbound
		Elmsford				1	NY 119 toSaw Mill River Parkway –Tarrytown	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
			1.45	2.33		2	NY 9A –Elmsford,Ardsley	No eastbound exit
						3	Sprain Brook Parkway toTaconic State Parkway north –New York City	No eastbound access to Sprain Brook Parkway north
			2.42	3.89		4	NY 100A –Hartsdale
		Greenburgh	3.23	5.20		5	NY 100	Westbound exit only
							NY 100 south /NY 119 east –White Plains	No westbound exit
		White Plains	4.32	6.95		6	NY 22 –North White Plains,White Plains
						7	Central Westchester Parkway north	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; southern terminus of Central Westchester Parkway
		White Plains–Harrison line	5.65	9.09		8W	Bloomingdale Road /Westchester Mall Place	No westbound exit
						8E	NY 127 south / Westchester Avenue toWestchester Mall Place –Harrison,White Plains	Signed as exit 8 westbound; signed for NY 127/Harrison eastbound, Westchester Mall westbound; no eastbound entrance
			6.91	11.12		9A	I-684 north / Westchester Avenue –Brewster	No westbound access to Westchester Avenue; southern terminus of I-684; formerI-87
		Harrison	8.09	13.02		9	Hutchinson River Parkway toMerritt Parkway north (Route 15 north) –Whitestone Bridge	Cloverleaf interchange with Westchester Avenue; signed as exits 9S (Hutchinson River Parkway south) and 9N (Hutchinson River Parkway north); exits 15A and 15B on Hutchinson Parkway
			8.79	14.15		10	NY 120 /NY 120A north –Purchase,Port Chester	No westbound exit; southern terminus of NY 120A
							Bowman Avenue / Webb Avenue	Westbound exit only
		Rye–Port Chester line	10.89	17.53		11	US 1 –Rye,Port Chester	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		City of Rye				12	I-95 south –New York	No eastbound entrance; exit number not signed westbound; exit 21 on I-95
						—	Midland Avenue –Port Chester,Rye	Westbound exit and entrance
			11.33	18.23		—	I-95 north –Connecticut Turnpike,New Haven	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Electronic toll collection       Incomplete access       Tolled       Route transition

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• Interstate 287 atAlps' Roads • New York Routes • Upstate New York Roads
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• Interstate Highways in New Jersey
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• Interstate 87 (New York)
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